Every year, TIME releases a list that tries to answer a slippery question: who actually shapes the world right now. The 2026 edition of the TIME100 leans into that ambiguity, mixing heads of state with YouTubers, AI architects with fashion designers, and activists with entertainers. It feels less like a ranking and more like a cross-section of influence in motion. Rather than offering a strict hierarchy, the list works as a snapshot of the people who, in very different ways, are helping define the mood, direction, and priorities of the current moment.

The posts, moments, and memes that dominated feeds this week — across X, Instagram, TikTok, and Truth Social. Trump re-posts the “King Trump” fighter jet AI video on Truth Social — the same day millions marched against him. On Saturday, as the third No Kings protests swept across 3,300+ cities, Trump responded by re-sharing an AI-generated video depicting himself piloting a fighter jet labeled “KING TRUMP” and dropping what appears to be sewage on crowds of demonstrators.